They're heroes or heels, inspirations or exasperations. They're college football coaches, the real celebrities of the sport.

Players come and go. For the best, fans might only get a season or two of sublime starting years before they make their way to the NFL. But the truly successful coaches stick around -- sometimes for decades at the same school -- becoming familiar faces for fans around the country.

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Love them or hate them, these are some of the coaches you'll want to watch this season. You may not see best of the best on this list -- tip of the cap to Nick Saban -- but these bench bosses are always exciting.

Dabo Swinney, Clemson – A champion worth a cheer

It's hard not to get caught up in Swinney's enthusiasm. The reigning national champion Tigers have given him plenty to get excited about, and his post-game remarks just exude the passion people love about the college game. In one memorable 2015 interview, following a dramatic win over then-No. 6 Notre Dame, he coined the term BYOG -- "Bring Your Own Guts." Of course, his favorite comments probably came after his team beat juggernaut Alabama for the title last January. The mix of emotion and humility made many a fan of the folksy coach.

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan – A real Wolverine

A former Michigan quarterback who made his way back to his alma mater after stints with San Diego, Stanford and the NFL's 49ers, Harbaugh was always destined for a return to Ann Arbor. He's a former passer, but his past teams have been known for their toughness and strong defense -- classic Michigan traits. It reflects the coach's no-nonsense demeanor on the sidelines, something that carries over to his closet, where he has a seemingly endless supply of khaki pants. You'll never see him without them at kickoff, even if his brother, Ravens coach John Harbaugh, thinks it's a fashion faux pas.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State –'A man' among Cowboys

This coach is forever going to be known for his legendary "I'm a man, I'm 40!" rant to the media in 2007 (the money line is at 2:22 of this video). It's been parodied ever since, and these days people are fawning over his masterful mullet. But it's easy to forget his rant came while defending his players after a critical newspaper article. He's also led the Cowboys, long the kid brother to Oklahoma University's Sooners, to a sustained period of conference success and bowl game appearances.

Blue and gold are Notre Dame's official colors, and you'll see green every now and again on an alternate jersey. But Kelly is making red part of the color scheme, with vein-popping sideline tirades that indeed could "wake up the echoes" made famous in the school's fight song. They might not like what they see, though. Kelly has come under fire for a series of heated incidents and confrontations with players and coaches, often laced with profanity and caught on camera. These things happen all over the country, of course, but Kelly being the face of one of the nation's preeminent programs and going 4-8 in 2016 puts him on thin ice. Catch him while he's hot.

Bill Snyder, Kansas State – Winning with class

Ask him, and Snyder will tell you he's no celebrity. His teams haven't always been the best in the Big 12 (sometimes, they've been flat-out whipped by the conference blue bloods), and his judgement isn't perfect. But Snyder remarkably turned a program that was once among the nation's worst into a regular top 25 fixture -- and two-time conference champ -- doing it with a level of humility sorely missing among many of his counterparts. Snyder writes congratulatory notes to opponents and changes the lives of his staff and players. He retired in 2005, returned to the sidelines in 2009, has seen the Wildcats' own stadium named for him (and the Snyder family, at his urging), was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, is recovering from throat cancer and will be 78 in October. It's been a busy career, but don't expect him to quit just yet. He's a survivor and, quietly, one of the biggest stars in college football.

I have so much respect for Coach Synder and the Kansas State Football program, so cool for him to do this! pic.twitter.com/E6rhnoMHro